[GTO]

Originally Posted by rlakhanpal

Yes, the tweet was a DUMB idea. Our country is not mature enough to talk about these things openly.

Our country? Do you think Ford USA will have the guts to tweet a poll that asks "How do people behave when they are driven by an Indian / Pakistani / African-American cab driver?" or similar? You're talking about the Ford CEO going for senate hearings in Washington then!!

Parsi, Gujarati etc is not something you can figure out while struggling to pass a stubborn slow driver in the right lane.

Agreed. But with new cars having smaller rear windscreens, high boot lines & big headrests, is it possible to consistently know who's ahead of you anyway? Not to mention, 1/3rd of all cars sold in India are MUVs & SUVs which make it impossible.

Honestly, haven't you heard this ever? Why is it sacrilege to have this poll on social media? There is a way to disagree - forget it, tweet against.

Because I don't drive differently if there's a lady or old man ahead of me. Where is that poll option? The only time I'll be extra cautious is if the driver ahead is driving poorly (irrespective of their sex / caste / age / colour).

[Chetan_Rao]

People form opinions based on a limited sample set (for the size of the world, even a country is a limited sample set ), then try to pass them off as facts just because 'their experience' says so. Broad-brushing works both ways, and it isn't comfortable being at the receiving end of someone's ignorance.

Illustrative example, put out an opinion poll implying most men are chauvinistic pigs - which may indeed be true based on where one lives but isn't a universal fact - and see the reaction then. No need to hypothesize actually, just rewind your social media feeds and re-read the men's indignant responses to the Bangalore molestation incident when some feminists tried to broad-brush most men as boors.

Like I said, it works both ways and stings as bad too, so let's not do unto others what we wouldn't like done to oneself. Men are the majority of bad drivers on our roads anyway.

[Czarcarsm]

In today's world of improving the culture from the former world of sexism, ageism and other prejudicial 'isms', it would be better for corporations to not test the waters within those 'isms'. This tweet is classic example of what not to do. Even the option#3 'wait patiently' implies that women & elderly have some thing wrong and the rest have to be patient with them. All 3 options reek of some form of prejudice and 'ism'.

The foundation of today's corporate culture is, all are equal, unless someone has something special that needs to be seen in a positive light. You are no longer handicapped, but differently abled, you are no longer a house-wife, but a home maker. Women and men think differently and that difference is considered diversity of thought, a must for successful companies.

I respect Ford. As a former Ford Motor Co employee I know how deeply committed they are to fair employment practices. This tweet is by someone who has not yet been fully synced with the Ford Corporate culture. Not that 'he' is Indian male so expected etc. That too is a form of prejudice. This person, he or she just need some better feedback and improved thought process. People can be changed.

[saion666]

Instead of women/elderly, the should have put in taxi drivers/govt bus drivers.
More than women am petrified of them.(oops I made a sexist statement)

[ashwin489]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Please show the twitter message to women you know, and ask whether they think it is sexist.

Out of sheer curiosity, I showed the poll to my wife and she instantly picked "Option A - Honk repeatedly".

Then, I asked her if she thought if the poll was sexist and she gave me a bemused look, and asked me how the hell is that sexist.

By the way, if I had asked her on a different day of the month, her response would've been different and she would have yelled SEXIST!!!

See what I did there, THAT was a classic example of a sexist comment, just for people to understand the nuances of sexism. And, of course, that would be wrong.

[noopster]

Originally Posted by ashwin489

See what I did there, THAT was a classic example of a sexist comment, just for people to understand the nuances of sexism. And, of course, that would be wrong.

Nicely done

I guess there are "acceptable" levels of sexism that we all unconsciously practice/condone. Chivalry for example is near-universally accepted as "good" behaviour (holding the door open for a woman, for example). But there is no denying it is rooted in sexist and even patriarchal behaviour dating back to the Victorian era!

[Anand3553]

Of all the issues in the world... Ford

Sexist or not, this was an incredible way to waste time for all involved

[spyder_p8]

Ford seems to have pulled down the tweet now. Going by the response of members on this forum, I think Women and Elderly never face any trouble on our roads. If we want to raise awareness or sensitize about a particular nuisance on Indian roads , how should one do without even talking about it?
The poll was very precise indeed. I would rather appreciate ford that they are aware of such situations that prevails on our roads.

[heydj]

How is this tweet wrong I fail to see. As world is progressing our country is going backwards and more intolerant.

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[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by spyder_p8

......If we want to raise awareness or sensitize about a particular nuisance on Indian roads , how should one do without even talking about it?......

The 'nuisance' is bad driving habits caused by lack of proper training, not the gender/age of the person involved. Would you be OK if the idiot blocking the road ahead of you is of your own gender/age?

To quote the father of the nation: 'Hate the sin, not the sinner'. Address the bad driving, not blame certain parts of the driving demographic for the nuisance.

[spyder_p8]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

The 'nuisance' is bad driving habits caused by lack of proper training, not the gender/age of the person involved. Would you be OK if the idiot blocking the road ahead of you is of your own gender/age?

To quote the father of the nation: 'Hate the sin, not the sinner'. Address the bad driving, not blame certain parts of the driving demographic for the nuisance.

Thanks for your response. Bad driving is a nuisance in itself. People are very hostile towards each other on the road. From my personal experience and I am sure many members here will agree that our roads are even more hostile towards women and elderly. This is not even related to driving habits. It is about our attitude on the road. The poll as later explained by Ford is a precursor to a planned campaign to sensitize people especially towards women and elderly. What was wrong in that? Instead , we created an outrage and it was pulled down.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by spyder_p8

.......planned campaign to sensitize people especially towards women and elderly. What was wrong in that?

What's wrong with that is the part in bold. Why is selective sensitization required towards certain types only? How is that even supposed to work? By acting politely towards women and elderly, and abusing/bullying the heck out of everyone else?

Instead, how about focusing on the need for every driver on our roads being properly trained and following rules/etiquette irrespective of who's driving in their vicinity? Then the need to 'protect' a certain demographic won't arise at all.

It's not about who needs protecting, it's about who needs corrective measures (age old debate not limited to driving alone). I'm neither a woman like my sister nor elderly like my senior citizen father (both of whom are fabulous drivers, BTW), but I'm bullied by bad drivers every time I drive, all the same. The Indian driving community needs to get better; men, women, transgender, young, old and everything/everybody in between. All of 'Us', not some of 'Them'.

[spyder_p8]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

The 'nuisance' is bad driving habits caused by lack of proper training, not the gender/age of the person involved. Would you be OK if the idiot blocking the road ahead of you is of your own gender/age?

To quote the father of the nation: 'Hate the sin, not the sinner'. Address the bad driving, not blame certain parts of the driving demographic for the nuisance.

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

What's wrong with that is the part in bold. .

I think it would be better if you stop selectively quoting my posts. Even in the previous post I have been strictly speaking about attitude of drivers in general. But the selective quote seems to suggest that I am blaming a particular gender or age. I am clearly saying that everyone on the road is hostile to each other. When it comes to women and elderly, the roads are even more hostile to them This fact cannot be ignored.

[deerhunter]

Originally Posted by spyder_p8

Bad driving is a nuisance in itself. People are very hostile towards each other on the road. From my personal experience and I am sure many members here will agree that our roads are even more hostile towards women and elderly. This is not even related to driving habits. It is about our attitude on the road. The poll as later explained by Ford is a precursor to a planned campaign to sensitize people especially towards women and elderly. What was wrong in that? Instead , we created an outrage and it was pulled down.

Ford's intention maybe noble, but the PR team that did this had a sexist among them.

Look at the options given for the poll
1. Honk repeatedly.
2. Overtake & drive fast.
3. Wait patiently.

Like many have pointed out before, why not put "Drive normally" as another option?

This poll makes it look as if one has to honk/overtake/wait if a woman or an old person is driving in front of them. Why not just drive like you normally do, without honking/overtaking/waiting?

When will you honk/overtake & drive fast/wait patiently, rather than drive normally? I do that when it is a moron (literally) who is in front of me, not when it is a woman or an old person. This poll forces you to consider women as less capable, that is why it is sexist.

It is clearly evident that the person who framed it has certain prejudices.

This topic has become way OT and it has got nothing to do with 'Indian Car Scene' anymore. Peace.

[landcruiser123]

"How do people behave when they are following women/elderly or people learning to drive?"

This tweet is surely aimed at the class of people considered "bad drivers." I don't know why they should discriminate against women and the elderly. There are only two kinds of drivers: Good driver and Bad drivers. "Learners" are not drivers yet.

Not cool Ford.